Gear motor



Dec. 24, 1963 c. HUTHMACHER GEAR MOTOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 11, 1961 .0 M Q 4 W m 1 w Q a 5 e E m L a Q m 7 Dec. 24, 1963 c. HUTHMACHER 3,115,124

GEAR MOTOR Filed Aug. 11, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 EN TOR.

LE5 TEE a. Marx/Amaze,

Dec. 24, 1963 L. c. HUTHMACHER GEAR MOTOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 11. 1961 FIG. 3.

Dec. 24, 1963 L, C. HUT MACHER 3,115,124

GEAR MOTOR Filed Aug. 11, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. 4.6576,? c #urxmzorwee,

United States Patent 3,115,124 GEAR MOTOR Lester C. Huthmacher, Wenden, Ariz. (R0. Box 725, Trona, Calif.) Filed Aug. 11, 1961, Ser. No. 130,943 4 Claims. (Cl. 123-12) This invention relates to rotary engines, and more particularly to a rotary combustion engine of the type comprising a pair of intermeshing gears.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved rotary combustion engine of the gear type, said combustion engine being relatively simple in construction, being relatively compact in size, and providing a high power output per unit of weight thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved rotary combustion engine of the gear type, said engine being economical to manufacture, being easy to maintain in operating condition, utilizing a wide range of various fuels, requiring no liquid coolant, and involving a minimum amount of moving parts.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved rotary engine of the gear type, said engine requiring minimum lubrication, whereby no crankcase is required therefor, involving no pistons, valves, or other reciprocating parts, and being reliable in operation.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary end elevational view of an improved rotary combustion engine constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the combustion engine shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a transverse vertical cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a transverse vertical cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 44 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of \FIGURE 3 and diagrammatically illustrating the manner in which the ignition distributing device associated with the engine is driven by one of the engine gear shafts.

Referring to the drawings, '11 generally designates an improved rotary combustion engine constructed in accordance with the present invention. The engine 11 comprises a casing 12 formed substantially by a pair of sideby-side intersecting, generally cylindrical segments 13 and 14 which intersect at a common vertical plane and which thereby define a pair of side-by-side intersecting substantially cylindrical cavities 15 and 16. A gas inlet conduit 17 jointly communicates with the cavities -15 and 16 at their top intersection, the conduit 17 being of downwardly flaring shape, as is clearly shown in FIGURE 2, and communicating with the intersecting cavities at their intermediate portion and extending a substantial length therealong.

Respective exhaust outlet conduits 18 and 19 are provided at the lower portions of the segments 13 and 14, said exhaust conduits communicating with the cavities 15 and 16 at locations spaced symmetrically on opposite sides of their bottom intersection, 20, as is clearly shown in FIG- URE 3.

A pair of counter-rotating elongated gears 21 and 22 are provided in the cavities 15 and 16, said gears being journaled in the vertical supporting end walls 23 and 24 which are rigidly and sealingly secured to the opposite ends of the casing 12 and which are provided with suitable horizontal spaced flanges 25 for supporting the engme.

The gear 21 is integrally formed with the oppositely projecting shaft portions 26 and 27 which are journaled 3,115,124 Patented Dec. 24, 1963 respectively in the walls 23 and 24, and the gear 22 is integrally formed with the outwardly projecting shaft portions 28 and 29 which are likewise journaled in the vertical supporting end walls 23 and 24.

The gears 21 and 22 are formed with a plurality of radially extending closely intermeshing teeth 39 of identical contour, said teeth having substantially cylindrical rounded outer portions and being formed with substantially cylindrical spaces 31 between the teeth so that they closely intermesh, as is clearly shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. As will be presently explained, the spaces between the teeth are adapted to receive gas from the inlet conduit 17 and to compress the gas as the teeth mesh together. The spaces between the teeth are formed with generally semi-cylindrical recesses 32 defining combustion chambers between the teeth when they are fully intermeshed, the compressed gas being sealed in the cavities 32 under these conditions. Mounted in the end walls 23 and 24 in alignment :with the respective locations of the sealed cavities 3'2, namely, the locations of the cavities 32 when the teeth are fully intermeshed, are respective pairs of ignition plugs 33, 34 suitable conventional means being provided to furnish sparking voltage at the ignition plugs simultaneously with the alignment of the sealed cavities 32 therewith during the rotation of the cooperating gears 21 and 22. Thus, a conventional breaker assembly 34 may be employed, the breaker assembly comprising a rotor cam 35 which is secured on the shaft element 27, rotating therewith and sequentially opening and closing the low tension ignition circuits associated with a pair of breaker arms 36 and 37 pivoted on a supporting disc 38 whose angular position is adjustable with respect to the cam member 35. The ignition circuit associated with the assembly 34 is entirely conventional and is well known to those skilled in the art. The spark plugs 33 and 34 are thus provided with sparking voltage suitably timed to properly ignite the compressed gas mixture in the sealed chambers 32, and the timing may be adjusted, if so desired, by adjustment of the disc 38 so that the spark may be either advanced or retarded, as required.

As will be readily apparent, when the gas is ignited in the sealed cavities 32, the expansion of the gases acts upon the gear teeth in a manner to rotate the gears, namely, to rotate gear 21 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURE 3, and to rotate gear 22 in a counterclockwise direction, whereby the products of combustion are subsequently moved with the gears in the cavities 15 and 16 to be ultimately discharged through the main exhaust conduits 18 and 19, which may be in turn connected to a suitable exhaust pipe, not shown.

The segments 13 and 14 are provided at one end of casing 12 with a pair of scavenging air inlet conduits 40 and 41 located above the exhaust conduits 18 and 19 and spaced symmetrically on opposite sides of the longitudinal central vertical plane containing the gas inlet conduit 17. A pair of scavenging exhaust conduits 42 and 43 are provided at the opposite ends of the casing segments 13 and 14 substantially in longitudinal alignment with the scavenging air intake conduits 40 and 41, the exhaust conduits 42 and 43 being connected by suitable conduits to the common exhaust pipe of the engine.

The scavenging air intake conduits 40 and 41 are connected together by a common cross conduit 44, and an air blower 45 is mounted on and communicatively connected to the cross conduit 44, as shown in FIGURE 1, so that the air blower 45 delivers air under blower pressure into the cross conduit 44, forcing the air into the respecrtive casing segments 13 and 14 at their air intake conduits 40 and 41.

Designated at is a carbureter to which is connected a suitable supply of liquid fuel, the carbureter 50 being of conventional construction and being adapted to atomize liquid fuel and mix the atomized fuel with air, feeding the mixture to a subjacent manifold 51 provided with a manually controlled throttle 52. The manifold 51 is communicatively connected with a conduit 53 which is integrally connected to a vertical conduit 54. Conduit 54 is connected to the intake conduit 17. A blower 55 is mounted at the connection between conduit 53 and manifold 51 and is adapted to build up the pressure of the fuel mixture at this point so as to deliver same to the supply manifold 54 at a substantial pressure. A rotatable throttle element 56 is provided in the conduit 53 and is coupled to the manual control means associated with the rotatable throttle element 52 for simultaneous adjustment therewith. The blower 55 is provided with the drive pulley 57 which is coupled by a belt 58 to a drive pulley 59 mounted on the shaft element 26. The blower 45 is provided with a drive pulley 60 which is coupled by a belt 61 to a second drive pulley element 62 formed integrally with the drive pulley element 59. As shown in FIGURE 5, the drive pulley elements 59 and 62 may comprise respective V-grooves formed in the periphery of a single pulley body. 1

An auxiliary blower 63 is provided, said auxiliary blower being electrically operated, as by an electric motor 64 and being employed in starting the engine. The blower 63 is mounted between a laterally extending conduit 66 connected to the manifold 51 above the throttle valve 52 and provided with an outlet conduit 67 connected to the supply conduit 54. A flap valve 68 is pivoted at 69 in the conduit 66, the flap valve 68 being normally in a depending closed position but opening responsive to suction developed by the blower 63 and thus drawing a fuel mixture comprising air and atomized liquid fuel into the supply conduit 54 and discharging same into the casing 12 through the intake conduit 17. As above mentioned, the motor 64 is employed merely for starting and is energized only sufficiently to initiate operation of the engine, after which the motor 64 is deenergized, allowing the flap valve 68 to drop to its normal closed position. It will be understood that after the engine has started, the blowers 55 and 45 will provide the necessary blower action to maintain the engine in operation.

In operation, the engine is started by first energizing the motor 64 and simultaneously energizing the ignition system, whereby a fuel and air mixture is delivered to the intake conduit 17 under the output pressure of the blower 63. The fuel mixture will flow into the casing 12, and ordinarily sufficient fuel will diffuse into the casing to be ignited by one or the other of the sets of spark plugs 33,

33 or 34, 34. A conventional starting motor may be employed in conjunction with the engine to facilitate the initial firing of the fuel mixture introduced into the engine under starting conditions.

As above mentioned, the ignition of the fuel causes the gears 21 and 22 to rotate, the fuel mixture being thereafter drawn into the casing 12 through the conduit 17 and being trapped between the counter-rotating gears. The fuel mixture is compressed and sealed in the recesses 32 in the manner above described, being alternately ignited as the teeth of one of the gears sealingly intermesh with the spaces between the teeth of the other gear, rotation of the shafts of the gears causing the blowers 55 and 45 to become activated and to function in the manner above described to develop the required fluid pressures in the supply conduit 54 and the scavenging conduits 40, 41, respectively. As soon as the engine has stanted the electric motor 64 may be deenergized, after which the flap valve 68 closes and the supply of fuel mixture is provided through the conduit 53, being controlled by the adjustable throttle elements 52. and 56.

As will be readily apparent, the scavenging air provided by the blower 45 and supplied to the casing segments 13 and 14 through the intake conduits 40 and 41 serves to completely remove all the burnt gases from the spaces between the gear teeth and also serves to cool the engine. The scavenging air moves longitudinally from one end of the engine to the other, escaping through the exhaust conduits 42 and 43, so that the cooling action occurs along substantially the full length of the rotating gears 21 and 22.

From the above it will be seen that the entire casing 12 is substantially cooled by the circulation of the scavenging air and that it is not necessary to provide liquid cooling or other cooling means.

In most designs of an engine according to the present invention it will be necessary to use a starting means, such as an electric starting motor, to start the engine, particularly where the engine ignition means employs a distributor including cam-operated breaker arms which are driven by a cam, such as the cam 35 shown in FIG- URE 5. Where an electric starting motor is employed, the auxiliary blower motor 64 is preferably connected in parallel with the starting motor so as to be energized simultaneously therewith and so as to be automatically deenergized when the starting motor becomes deenergized, for example, by the opening of a manually operated starter switch or the opening of the starter solenoid contacts when a conventional solenoid is employed to control the starting motor. Thus, the blower motor 64 will be energized at the same time as the starting motor and will deliver fuel and air mixture under pressure to the bypass conduit defined by the conduit elements 66 and 67 connected across the normal blower 55. When the engine starts the blower 55 is driven from the shaft 26 and provides the required supply of fuel mixture to the intake conduit 17, the motor 64 becoming deenergized simultaneously with the deenergization of the starting motor, whereupon the flap valve 68 closes, as above described.

While a specific embodiment of an improved rotary combustion engine has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A rotary combustion engine comprising a casing formed with a pair of side-by-side intersecting substantially cylindrical cavities and provided with a gas inlet conduit jointly communicating with said cavities at their top intersection, said cavities being provided with respective exhaust outlet conduits spaced symmetrically on opposite sides of their bottom intersection, a gas supply conduit connected to said gas inlet conduit, an air mixture supply conduit connected to said gas inlet conduit, air blower means in said air mixture supply conduit, a pair of counter-rotating gears rotatably mounted in said cavities and having intermeshing teeth, the spaces between the teeth being adapted to receive gas from said inlet conduit and to compress said gas as the teeth mesh together, the gears being formed with recesses between their teeth to define combustion chambers between the teeth when they are fully intermeshed, ignition means in the casing substantially aligned with the positions of said recesses when the teeth are fully intermeshed for igniting the gas, whereby the gas will act upon the teeth upon combustion thereof to rotate the gears, and whereby the products of combustion will subsequently escape through said exhaust conduits, air scavenging conduits connected to the casing on opposite sides of the inlet conduit above said exhaust outlet conduits, air blower means connected to said scavenging conduits, and additional exhaust conduits connected to the casing above the exhaust conduits at points spaced longitudinally from the air scavenging conduits.

2. A rotary combustion engine comprising a casing formed with a pair of parallel intersecting substantially cylindrical cavities and provided with a gas inlet conduit at the intersection of said cavities and with exhaust outlet conduits opposite said gas inlet conduit, an air mixture supply conduit connected to said gas inlet conduit, air blower means in said air mixture supply conduit, a pair of counter-rotating gears rotatably mounted in said cavities and having intermeshing teeth, the spaces between the teeth being adapted to receive gas from said inlet conduit and to compress the gas as the teeth intermesh, the spaces between the teeth being formed with longitudinal recesses to receive the compressed gas, ignition means in the casing substantially aligned with the fully intermeshed positions of said teeth for igniting the gas, whereby the gas will act upon the teeth upon combustion to rotate the gears, and whereby the products of combustion will subsequently escape through said exhaust conduits, air scavenging conduits connected to the casing adjacent to and at opposite sides of the inlet conduit, air blower means connected to said scavenging conduits, and means to drive said first and second-named blower means from said rotating gears.

3. A rotary combustion engine comprising a casing formed with a pair of parallel intersecting substantially cylindrical cavities and provided with a gas inlet conduit at the intersection of said cavities and with exhaust outlet conduits opposite said gas inlet conduit, a pair of counterrotating gears rotatably mounted in said cavities and having intermeshing teeth, the spaces between the teeth being adapted to receive gas from said inlet conduit and to compress the gas as the teeth intermesh, ignition means in the casing substantially aligned with the fully intermeshed positions of said teeth for igniting the gas, whereby the gas will act upon the teeth upon combustion to rotate the gears, and whereby the products of combustion will subsequently escape through said exhaust conduits, air scavenging conduits connected to the casing adjacent to and on opposite sides of the inlet conduit, air blower means connected to said scavenging conduits, additional exhaust conduits connected to the casing at points longitudinally spaced from and substantially longitudinally aligned with said air scavenging conduits, a gas supply conduit connected to said gas inlet conduit, and means to drive said first-named and second blower means from said rotating gears.

4. A rotary combustion engine comprising a casing formed with a pair of parallel intersecting substantially cylindrical cavities and provided with a gas inlet conduit at the intersection of said cavities and with exhaust outlet conduits opposite said gas inlet conduit, a pair of counterrotating gears rotatably mounted in said cavities and having intermeshing teeth, the spaces between the teeth being adapted to receive gas from said inlet conduit and to compress the gas as the teeth intermesh, the spaces between the teeth being formed with longitudinal recesses to receive the compressed gas, ignition means in the casing substantially aligned with the fully intermeshed positions of said teeth for igniting the gas, whereby the gas will act upon the teeth upon combustion to rotate the gears, and whereby the products of combustion will subsequently escape through said exhaust conduits, air scavenging conduits connected to the casing adjacent to and on opposite sides of the inlet conduit, air blower means connected to said scavenging conduits, additional exhaust conduits connected to the casing at points longitudinally spaced from and substantially longitudinally aligned with said air scavenging conduits, a gas supply conduit connected to said gas inlet conduit, second blower means in said gas supply conduit, means to drive said first-named and second blower means from said rotating gears, a bypass conduit connected across said second blower means, third blower means in said bypass conduit, and means to at times independently drive said third blower means.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 583,035 France Oct. 24, 1924 598,889 France Oct. 6, 1925 250,250 Italy Sept. 23, 1926 357,186 Italy Mar. 5, 1938 

4. A ROTARY COMBUSTION ENGINE COMPRISING A CASING FORMED WITH A PAIR OF PARALLEL INTERSECTING SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL CAVITIES AND PROVIDED WITH A GAS INLET CONDUIT AT THE INTERSECTION OF SAID CAVITIES AND WITH EXHAUST OUTLET CONDUITS OPPOSITE SAID GAS INLET CONDUIT, A PAIR OF COUNTERROTATING GEARS ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID CAVITIES AND HAVING INTERMESHING TEETH, THE SPACES BETWEEN THE TEETH BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE GAS FROM SAID INLET CONDUIT AND TO COMPRESS THE GAS AS THE TEETH INTERMESH, THE SPACES BETWEEN THE TEETH BEING FORMED WITH LONGITUDINAL RECESSES TO RECEIVE THE COMPRESSED GAS, IGNITION MEANS IN THE CASING SUBSTANTIALLY ALIGNED WITH THE FULLY INTERMESHED POSITIONS OF SAID TEETH FOR IGNITING THE GAS, WHEREBY THE GAS WILL ACT UPON THE TEETH UPON COMBUSTION TO ROTATE THE GEARS, AND WHEREBY THE PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION WILL SUBSEQUENTLY ESCAPE THROUGH SAID EXHAUST CONDUITS, AIR SCAVENGING CONDUITS CONNECTED TO THE CASING ADJACENT TO AND ON OPPOSITE 